Whether originating in Italy or France, for the past 100 years “blackjack” or “21” has been the most popular casino table game in the United States. Its popularity is due to a variety of factors, including not many rules of play, it is based upon skill not just luck, and minimum bets can be small without affecting the odds of winning. Additionally, in the 1950's and 1960's, many books were written attempting to explain basic strategies of play to improve a player's odds of winning at blackjack.
A player's objective in blackjack is to obtain a hand of cards having point values totaling as close to 21 as possible, without going over. After initial bets are placed, players are dealt two cards each, typically face up. Numbered cards are counted at the face value, face cards are counted as “10,” and Aces can count as either “1” or “11.” An Ace and a card counting as “10” dealt as the initial two cards are defined to be a “blackjack,” and unless the dealer is also dealt a blackjack, that player is entitled to an enhanced payout on wagers placed.
The dealer also obtains two cards, but typically only the first card is revealed. The play proceeds around the table, with players choosing to draw additional cards (“hit”) to increase their point total or stay with their current cards (“stand”). After all players have completed play, the dealer turns over the hidden, second card, and then begins play of the hand. Unlike the players, the dealer is required to play according to strict rules determining whether to hit or stand. These rules may vary from one gaming establishment to another—the majority requiring a hit on point totals up to “16,” and standing on “17.” Less favorable to the players is the rule that the dealer must “hit” on a “soft 17,” which occurs when an Ace is included in the “17” total, since an Ace could also equal “1” (thus, an Ace and a “6” could total either “17” or “7”).
Should the dealer bust (exceed a point total of “21”), each player who did not bust wins. When the dealer does not bust, the value of each non-busting player hand is compared to the dealer's hand, and the player wins if their point total exceeds that of the Dealer. Where the player and dealer have hands of equal value, it is called a “push” and the player's initial wager is returned.
One area of advantage to the house/dealer is the requirement that play of the dealer's hand follows completion of player play. Should a player “bust” during this period that player is immediately considered to have lost, and the bet and all cards are immediately discarded. Should the dealer later also “bust,” there is no revisiting any of the earlier player busts. This order and manner of play materially assists the house in maintaining an edge over the players.
Traditional Blackjack also contemplates the provision of several additional playing and betting options, such as insurance, doubling down, and splitting pairs. “Insurance” is a side bet offered a player when the dealer's visible card is an Ace. The player may wager up to ½ of the initial wager on “insurance,” which pays at 2:1 if the dealer's down or hole card has a value of 10 (giving the dealer a “natural” Blackjack) . Since the actual odds of the dealer obtaining a natural are close to 2.25:1, insurance only makes sense for a player if he or she has some sense (such as through card counting) of the dealer's hole card.
“Doubling down” occurs where a player doubles the initial wager, takes exactly one more card, and then stands. “Splitting” or “splitting pairs” is available where both cards have the same value, and when elected, the player doubles the initial wager and each card is then considered to be the first card in a new hand.
These features make the basic game a bit trickier, and many involve side bets that can increase the stakes of the game. For the more skilled players, these additions can assist in reducing the house advantage. For those of less skill, these additions only act to further increase the house advantage as one or more are misplayed.
To the average player, there appear times where the dealer is constantly winning, and in discouragement, they leave the table. To address this perception, others have proposed permitting a player to bet on the dealer, and thereby keeping such players at the table over a longer period of time. Should such a bet be made, the play of the players hand is governed by the same rules of play as the dealer's hand, and in fact, it is played by the dealer in much the same manner as the dealer plays his or her own hand.
Of course, the house cannot permit a player to stand exactly in the same place as a dealer—that player would essentially enjoy “the house advantage,” while the house would not. To avoid that result, one version requires players betting on the dealers to pay a “commission” on the bet—or, alternatively, causing the player to automatically lose upon obtaining a card value of 17 when betting on the dealer. Another version varies the hit/stand rules, depending upon the value of the dealer's up (or visible) card on the initial deal. Neither of these alternatives is viewed as player friendly. In one case, the player has to pay an out-of-pocket premium to bet on the dealer—in the other, the player's cards are no longer played as if playing the dealer, suggesting an immediate house advantage. It would be desirable to offer a player an opportunity to bet on the dealer's hand and win with the dealer—yet in a manner that continues to provide the house with a betting advantage.